Teen Resources

 

How to Say “No”

Everyone wants to fit in. But what do you do if you’re at a party and everyone’s drinking alcohol? Or doing drugs? It helps to already have a strategy in place—to know what you’re going to say and how you’re going to handle the situation. You can ask your parents or a friend to help you come up with a great one-liner. Some kids like to say “no” and be done with it. Others like to say something funny.

If saying “no” makes you feel uncomfortable, blame your parents! Say something like, “I got in trouble with my parents once when I was drinking and I’m not going through that again.” Or, “My parents are coming to pick me up and they have alcohol radar.” You can also blame it on your coach —”I have a game tomorrow and Coach would kill me—or “I don’t want to blow my scholarship opportunity.” If you’re going to a party with a friend, and you think there may be alcohol or drugs there, develop a strategy together. Pick a signal that you and your friend can use when it’s time to leave, if the situation gets uncomfortable to be around. Or ask in advance if there will be alcohol or drugs at the party, so you can decide in advance if you even want to be put in that situation.

How to Help a Friend

Do you have a friend who is drinking alcohol or doing drugs? Are you worried about them? Are they doing reckless things, like driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs? Are they engaging in risky sexual behavior as a result of drugs or alcohol? Are their grades going down?

If your friend’s drinking makes you uncomfortable, you should let them know, and why. Let him or her know that you are worried about them. You should also try to make sure your friend stays safe. Don’t let them drink and drive, and certainly don’t ride with them if they do. Try to keep them from doing anything dangerous or embarrassing, like trying to walk home alone late at night, starting a fight or performing a silly prank.

Ask your friend if they need help, or suggest they go talk to someone who can help them, like a school counselor. If they don’t listen and you are still worried, it’s time to talk to your parents, or a counselor at school. As adults, they will know how to handle the situation, and make sure that your friend gets the help he or she needs.

You may feel weird about talking to an adult about this, but that’s better than having regrets because you didn’t talk to someone. Kids who drink or do drugs can really hurt themselves, or even die, due to risky behavior. If you care for your friend, do something.

How To Talk To Your Parents

Have you ever tried to talk to your parents about something important, and felt like they didn’t hear you? Or did you try to talk about something and end up not talking about the very thing that was on your mind? This is actually very normal, but it’s also a little dangerous. If you aren’t able to talk to your parents about what’s really on your mind, you could end up feeling like you’re living two lives: one they know about, and one they don’t. And if they don’t understand who you really are, how can they really be there for you?

There are some simple things you can do to talk to your parents more effectively about every day things, and big stuff, too, like drugs and alcohol.

Local, State, & National Statistics

Do you have a friend who is drinking alcohol or doing drugs? Are you worried about them? Are they doing reckless things, like driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs? Are they engaging in risky sexual behavior as a result of drugs or alcohol? Are their grades going down?

If your friend’s drinking makes you uncomfortable, you should let them know, and why. Let him or her know that you are worried about them. You should also try to make sure your friend stays safe. Don’t let them drink and drive, and certainly don’t ride with them if they do. Try to keep them from doing anything dangerous or embarrassing, like trying to walk home alone late at night, starting a fight or performing a silly prank.

Ask your friend if they need help, or suggest they go talk to someone who can help them, like a school counselor. If they don’t listen and you are still worried, it’s time to talk to your parents, or a counselor at school. As adults, they will know how to handle the situation, and make sure that your friend gets the help he or she needs.

You may feel weird about talking to an adult about this, but that’s better than having regrets because you didn’t talk to someone. Kids who drink or do drugs can really hurt themselves, or even die, due to risky behavior. If you care for your friend, do something.

National Statistics

  • In 2013, about 8.7 million persons aged 12 to 20 (22.7 percent of this age group) reported drinking alcohol in the past month. Approximately 5.4 million (14.2 percent) were binge drinkers, and 1.4 million (3.7 percent) were heavy drinkers (1)
  • Unlike adults, when young people drink, they tend to drink a lot at one time, or “binge” drink (2)
  • Of adults who started drinking before age 15, approximately 40% say they have signs of alcohol dependence (3)
  • Underage drinking can lead to poor decisions about risky sexual activity, driving while intoxicated and behavior problems
  • Alcohol is the drug of choice among adolescents. About two in five eighth graders have consumed alcohol in their lifetime. 17% of eighth graders report using alcohol in the past month—more than cigarettes and marijuana combined (2)
  • Research shows that alcohol use increases with age, for example, 13.5% of 9th graders have engaged in binge drinking (consuming 5 or more drinks on a single occasion) compared to 29% of 12th graders report doing so (4)

(1) Results from the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Summary of National Findings, available at http://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/NSDUHresultsPDFWHTML2013/Web/NSDUHresults2013.htm – 3.2 (2) Wechsler H, Nelson TF, 2008. What We Have Learned From the Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study, Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 2008. (3) Surgeon General’s Call to Action To Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking, available at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK44360/  (4) 2013 National YRBSS Survey, available at http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/yrbs/index.htm

 

Louisiana Statistics

  • Approximately 1 out of 5 (23.2%) Louisiana high school students had their first drink of alcohol (other than a few sips) before the age of 13.
  • Over one-third (38.6%) of students reported having one or more drinks of alcohol in the past 30 days.
  • A total of 19.8% of students reported binge drinking (having 5 or more drinks of alcohol in a row within a couple of hours) in the past 30 days.
  • Approximately 1 out of 10 of students (9.5%) reported trying marijuana for the first time before the age of 13.
    • 18.4% of students reported that they had taken a prescription drug (such as OxyContin, Percocet, Vicodin, codeine, Adderall, Ritalin, or Xanax) without a doctor’s prescription one or more times during their life).

Additional 2013 Louisiana High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey data can be found at https://nccd.cdc.gov/youthonline/App/Results.aspx?TT=A&OUT=0&SID=HS&QID=QQ&LID=LA&YID=2011&LID2=&YID2=&COL=S&ROW1=&ROW2=&HT=C3&LCT=&FS=S1&FR=R1&FG=G1&FSL=&FRL=&FGL=&PV=&TST=False&C1=&C2=&QP=G&DP=1&VA=CI&CS=Y&SYID=&EYID=&SC=DEFAULT&SO=ASC

 

Bienville Parish Statistics

The 2014 Louisiana Caring Communities Youth Survey of Bienville Parish 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th grade students found the following in regards to alcohol use:

  • A total of 39.9% of students have had alcoholic beverages (beer, wine, hard liquor) to drink in their lifetime—more than just a few sips.
  • Of those reporting alcohol use, students reported source of obtaining the alcohol as follows:

67.1% “I got it from a family member or relative other than my parents.”

37.8% “I got if from someone I know under age 21.”

35.3% “I got it from home with my parents’ permission.”

32.9% “I got it from home without my parents’ permission.”

  • Bienville Parish students report past 30 day use of alcohol at the following rates: 6th grade-3.3%; 8th grade-14.2%; 10th grade-28.2%; 12th grade-33.8%.
  • Only 73.3% of 6th graders perceive that people are at moderate or great risk of harming themselves if they have 5 or more drinks once or twice a week.
    • 28.6% of students surveyed believe that it would be “very easy” or “sort of easy” for someone under the age of 21 to buy alcohol from a store in their community.

 

Additional 2014 Louisiana Caring Communities Youth Survey data can be found at http://extranet.picardcenter.org/CCYS/Parish%20Profiles/Parish%202014/Bienville%20Parish%20Profile%20Report.pdf

How to Get Help

There are many resources in our community that can provide information, counseling services, intervention, rehabilitation, after care and more. For a complete list of local resources, click here.